Electric vibrator



Aug. 20, 1940. M. J. LANDGRAF ELECTRIC VIBRATOR Filed April 27, 1 938 My invention relates to electric vibrators.

2,2llt2 srsc'raro vmaaroa Myron Landgrat, Ehicago, 111., assignor to Henry J. Gcldblatt, Chicago, llll.

Applica ion April 27,

3 Claims.

relates more in particular to an improved, simple, and inexpensive, but very efiicient, vibrator construction.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an improved vibrator.

A further object is the provision of a vibrator which lends itself to simplicity and beauty of design, efficiency of operation, inexpensiveness of manufacture, and ease of assembly.

The features of the invention and other specific objects are brought out in detail in the description and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing an embodiment of the invention, the view being on a suitably reduced scale;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, part of the view being shown in elevation;

is an irregular sectional view taken on of impulses to the applicator.

The design employed is such that the casing itself acts in part as a framework, being divided into a plurality of easily assembled sections within which the actuator assembly is readily mounted.

In the preferred form, the final assembly operation comprises the simple operation of securing together three main assembly parts.

In accordance with the specific design shown, I provide a generally cup shaped housing member NJ, which also acts as a support for an actuating mechanism indicated generally by the reference character I l.

A mounting and reiniorcing band 22 is welded or otherwise secured on the inside edge of the member it, but projects therefrom to form an extension over which a second housing member it is adapted to telescope to produce a completed housing substantially unbroken throughout its entire exterior except at the jointure between the parts l0 and A specially constructed, generally tubular,

1938, Serial No. 204,695

handle receiving member i4 is also provided, this member i l having a flange extending within the housing member it and lying along the inner face thereof. At the point where this flange 100?- tion overlaps the housing member iii, attachment is eiiected by brazing, spot welding and the like, so that, when the fastening operation has been completed, the members it and M comprise substantially a single structure. It will be noted that the band i2 is substantially annular, but terminates slightly short of the position occupied by the flange on the member it. The member i3 is cut away at E3 to extend around the cylindrical portion of the member it into which the handle it} projects. When assembly has been completed, the upper flange on the member i l underlies a portion of the housing member it, as shown near the bottom of Fig. 3, so that by means or a small screw 5'! at this point and a screw it at the opposite side of the housing which extends into the E2, the two housing portions are held in assembled relation.

An'eleetric switch 59 is carried on a hollow supporting shaft 28 extending through the end of the housing member it. A rotatable switch controlling shaft 22 extending to the outside of the hollow supporting shaft carries a switch arm 23 through which the position of the switch elements (not shown) may be controlled. The supporting shaft 2.. is exteriorly threaded for receiving nuts 2 with which the entire switch assembly is held in position. The details the switch are unimportant, but preferably I employ a three pole switch so that the switch arm 23 has three positions, namely a full-off position, an intermediate position where some of the turns of the electric coil are energized, and a full-on position in which the maximum output or" the coil is utilized.

The actuating mechanism H comprises an electric coil 26 wound about a magnetizable pole piece 2'? to which end members 2?; of insulating material are secured, whereby to complete a spool for supporting the coil. The pole piece 2'5 is preferably a normalized soft iron so as to have a maximum permeability at the flux densities employed and so constituted as to discharge its magnetism rapidly as required in the operation of the device. The U-shaped member 28 forms a return circuit for the magnetic flux, thus improving the efficiency of the electro-magnet unit. An irregular shaped member 3i a fiat portion through which a screw 33 extends, this screw extending also through the base of the U-shaped member 25 and into the core 27 so as to form a rigid and sturdy assembly. The member 3! has a U-shaped portion provided with feet 34 and an armature portion 36 having an integral cross piece 31 extending to upturned ends of the U- shaped member 29. A mounting post 38 is secured in the cross member 31 (which forms a part of the armature) substantially in line with the axis of the core 21. This mounting member 38 extends through an axial opening 39 in the housing member 13, and is exteriorly threaded to receive an applicator 4|.

The core 21, coil, U-shaped member 29, member 3i carrying the armature, and feet 34 are all part of a single assembly which, when not mounted in position within the housing, has the general appearance indicated in Fig. 4. This assembly is mounted within the housing by the utilization of screws 42 extending through the housing member Ill and threaded within the feet 34, lock washers 53 being provided to prevent the screws from loosening readily. The housing is formed of substantially non-magnetic material so as to eliminate magnetic leakage, and, as a further precaution, a magnetic insulator may be employed between the feet 34 and the housing.

The member 29 is formed of soft iron or mild steel so as to be readily magnetizable, and the member 3| is preferably formed of mild steel so that it has sufiicient spring in it to maintain the armature portion spaced from the pole piece a short distance, as indicated in the drawing. A mild grade of steel is adequate for the purpose, such as may be obtained in sheets, so that in the formation of the member 3! it is merely necessary to stamp a blank from the sheet and form it by suitable stamping operations into the shape illustrated. The U-shaped member 29 is readily formed in a similar manner.

The handle is hollow, as shown, to receive the wires Ml adapted by means of a plug (not shown) to be connected into a socket, making available alternating current. These two wires run one to the switch, as shown, and the other to one terminal of the coil 26. Additional wires run from the coil to the switch so as to make possible, as already described, turning ofi the current entirely or using the total number of windings or a portion of the windings, depending upon the number of windings which it is desired to utilize, and concomitantly the driving force to be imparted to the applicator.

The vibrator of the present invention operates on alternating current, its manner of operation being known to those skilled in the art. It involves the principle of drawing the armature to the coil during half of the sine wave and allowing it to spring away from the coil during the remainder of the sine wave. Because of the provision of a complete magnetic path through the use of the U-shaped member 29, the pole pieces are readily discharged during the second half of the sine wave to avoid the presence of residual magnetism which might tend to slow up the movement of the armature away from the pole piece. The ends of the U-shaped member 29 also function as stops for the cross member 31 of the armature.

In producing the vibrator of my invention, the three assembly members shown in Fig. 4 are produced separately. For simplicity, the Wires are not illustrated, the principle being more easily understandable from a consideration of the simplified showing. The actuating mechanism II is very simply and inexpensively built and assembled, following the general scheme described. The switch having first been assembled in the housing portion I0 when the actuating mechanism H was placed in position, the assembly is completed by means of the two screws 42. The leads are extended through the handle [6 and it is merely slid upinto the position shown. The housing member I3 is then telescoped over the band l2 and the screws I! and i8 threaded into position. If desired, a band may be employed to cover the joint between the housing members In and I3, but the use of such a band is not necessary and in general would be employed principally for the sake of appearance.

I have found that the vibrator of my invention, while economical to produce and assemble, is sturdy, functions with a high degree of efficiency for its intended purpose, and may be made to have a simple, pleasing appearance, acceptable to the trade in every way.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vibrator of the character described, comprising a generally cup-shaped member, a switch secured therein provided with operating means on the outside of the cup-shaped member, said housing member having a band near its rim and extending therefrom, an actuating mechanism as a single unit secured within and directly on said housing at points spaced at the outside of said switch, and a second housing member telescoped over said band to complete the assembly.

2. In a vibrator of the character described, a two-part housing joined at a line running substantially circumferentially, one part of the housing being generally cup-shaped and carrying a circumferential band underlying the point of contact between the two-part housing and the other part comprising substantially half of an ovoid with a central aperture at its apex, a handle secured to said first housing part, a switch secured axially at the inside of said cup-shaped housing part and having an operating shaft extending through the housing to which a switch control arm is secured, and an integral assembly comprising an actuating mechanism having two legs provided with feet secured to the housing at the sides of the switch, an electro-magnet, armature and extension comprising a mounting post for an applicator extending through said aperture in the second-mentioned housing part.

3. A vibrator as defined in claim 2, wherein said armature comprises part of a member secured to one end of a core of the electro-magnet and having a yoke extending to the opposite end of the core and provided with a cross piece comprising the armature to which the mounting for the applicator is attached, said same member including the means for mounting the assembly to the housing, a U-shaped member being secured to the core by the same means which secures the said armature member, the U-shaped member having legs extending up in the path of the cross piece functioning to complete a path for magnetic flux generated by the electro-magnet.

MYRON J. LAND'GRAF. 

